Top 3 Sex Myths about STDs

Learn the top three sex myths about sexually transmitted diseases from sexpert Jane Bogart in this Howcast video.

Transcript

STD Prevention and Protection: Top Sex Myths: The number 1 myth is that condoms are not effective. They don't work. They may break. They don't prevent disease, and this is just absolutely untrue. Condoms are tested rigorously. It is not easy to break a condom. You can break a condom by using the wrong kind of lubricant, by putting it on incorrectly. Those are usually the reasons that condoms don't work, but there's been a lot of research on latex barriers and prevention and when it comes to skin to skin contact, or transmission of infectious fluid, latex condoms are the number 1 best prevention that you can do. Another form of prevention besides latex condoms is a female condom. That's actually polyurethane which is a type of plastic and for people who have latex allergies, that can be a great option for them. The second myth would be that if two women have sex together, it's completely safe and there's nothing to worry about. Again, that's completely untrue because many sexually transmitted infections are skin to skin contact. Maintaining skin to skin contact with someone who has some sort of infection like Herpes or HPV, whether it's two vaginas together, or penis and vagina together, or two penises together, or anus to anus, it just doesn't matter. It's the skin to skin contact that matters. The third myth is that oral sex does not transmit disease, and while it is true that oral sex may be a little bit safer or less risky than some other penetrative sexual behaviors, oral sex can transmit disease. You can transmit, for example, an oral Herpes from your mouth to someone else's vulva, anus or penis. You can transmit something from someone's penis or vulva or anus into your mouth and so transmission can work both ways. The best way to prevent transmission is to use some barrier between your mouth and someone's genitals or skin and that will reduce your risk of transmission, but it is not true that oral sex is completely safe.